This thesis deals with the proposal that environmentally benign items of free standing furniture may be produced by the use of such well established techniques as training and grafting natural tree growth to shape. The project has been driven by the growing environmental concerns of which mankind has become aware in the late twentieth century, and which are starting to exert such a powerful influence in the twenty first. A broad history of man's use and control of natural tree growth, ranging geographically from Europe to Australia, and in size from hand held agricultural picks to eighteenth century sailing ships, is followed by a brief description of the ways in which the explosive increase in world popuanon. together with the expanding industrial activities of the Western consumer society, are feared to be threatening the stability of the natural environment. The various disasters and catastrophic accidents which have brought this situation to the attention of the general public are briefly surveyed, together with National, International and a range of Industrial responses. As one of the professions most closely concerned with the production of consumer items, the various reactions of the Design Community are similarly examined. In conclusion, the author's proposal for an experimental item of furnitureenvironmentally benign in production, use and disposal - is described and illustrated. A simple free standing three legged stool, the form of both the item itself and that of the jig required to control it's growth, are described and illustrated. The growth of examples of this, carried out on three sites across southern Britain are documented, experimental results reported and discussed. A further range of designs suitable to be produced using this method of controlling and grafting natural growth is proposed, and suggestions made for further experimentation.

This thesis describes the origins and development of the English mahogany trade from its origins to the beginning of the French Revolutionary War. It is based primarily on statistical and commercial information, most of which is drawn from government and other official sources. The bulk of the text is a chronological account, charting the growth of the trade from its small beginnings in Jamaica after 1700 to its late eighteenth century heyday. It considers the effect of economic conditions, shipping costs, government commercial policy and imperial colonial strategy, and shows how these had a direct bearing on the scale and direction of the trade. The various sources of mahogany are discussed, together with the characteristics and uses of the timber. Popular conceptions about the various types of mahogany used in 18th century furniture making are discussed in the light of statistical and other contemporary evidence. The thesis also considers the effects of the introduction of mahogany on furniture manufacturing in England. It investigates the cost of mahogany relative to other furniture woods, and suggests that its chief appeal in the initial years of importation was its low cost. This suggestion is born out by the early use of mahogany as a joinery rather than a cabinet wood. The thesis goes on to argue that the cost of mahogany was often a primary determinant of stylistic and technical development. As demand for the wood grew, so costs rose and inflation became at times a notable feature of the mahogany market. The effects of this inflation are recorded in the archives of contemporary furniture makers and are apparent in extant 18th century furniture. The most important single finding of the thesis is the paramont role of government in determining the scale and direction of the mahogany trade. In this respect mahogany reflects the historical development of British West Indian commercial policy. Mahogany was not merely an art-historical phenomenon, but a symbol of Britain's rise to commercial dominance in the 18th century.

Nowadays, the world is facing a lot of serious problems because of the population explosion and the resource shortage. Overcrowded living area creates economic and social issues, and the limitation of material choices not only lowers the quality of house holding merchandise, but also leads to the raise of the price. Due to all these complicated factors, multi-function furniture becomes one of the solutions for space sustainability. Multi-function furniture combines different functions into one piece to control the material consumption, creates opportunities for the interaction between the object and human, and effectively save user's space. At the same time, the price of multi-function furniture, by contrast, is usually more reasonable than purchasing several furniture pieces together. This kind of design becomes more and more popular among young generation, and it is the trend of today's furniture design. Through the exploration of human's living habits and the study of contemporary multi-function furniture, I designed a piece of furniture, Chinese Bench with the concept of space and material sustainability. This thesis is based on the field study of ergonomics and furniture design theory, illustrates the final prototypes of my multi-functional furniture. The design can be served as sit, table and storage, and it emphasizes the importance of space use and valuable customization for user at the same time. The design aims to provide a more efficient living mode in limited space, and reduce the material consumption. At the same time, the pattern and graphic forms are adapted in this design; they can meet people's need for beauty and function at the same time, let the user obtain the sympathy and entertainment from the design

Nowadays, people spend lots of time in digital worlds, such as social media and the internet. Their product purchasing decisions are influenced by this digital world. As a result, when looking around the house, lots of physical products, from utensils to giant furniture are sometimes not the ideal choice for fitting into the space or users’ need. People are usually more fascinated by product appearance. However, after a brief period of time, they may get bored and eventually abandon the product. Due to the fact mentioned above, I, as a designer, want to explore a different route to design products so that they can be more significant and meaningful to people’s lives. After a lot of research, I found that human experience and ritual can provide very helpful guidance on product development. Based on the research and findings, my lounge chair is designed to prove my design thinking. This paper focuses on the development of the lounge chair from concept sketch to computer modeling to the actual prototype and finishing.

The problem considered was the nature of traditional Appalachian chairmaking in a northern metropolis. The subject was an Appalachian migrant who moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Culture change was viewed through the sociological, socioeconomic, and cultural effects of urbanization. Fieldwork focused on interrelated factors of individual personality, style and creativity, and chair production. Information on the chairmaker's background was extracted from Michael Owen Jones's, "Chairmaking in Appalachia: A Study in Style and Creative Imagination In American Folk Art" (Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1970). Dramatic changes in the folk art tradition occurred as a result of culture change. Given economic solvency and personal self—respect, the Appalachian migrant adopted certain aspects of the urban image. His personality changed in the new environment. This traditional artisan created unusual chairs in order to become successful in an urban area. A certain style was accepted by the urban consumer group. Creativity was not encouraged because the customer specified how the chair was to be built. This observation suggests that folk art traditions in an urban area persist or die cut depending on the rapport between the craftsman and the consumer. A successful craftsman cannot stabilize his art in an urban setting; influences for change and opportunities to change are too numerous.

As time goes by, people are no longer limited with the basic demands of survival, which started in the primitive society, and try to search for the satisfaction of spirit and comfortable sensation. At this time, furniture becomes to be the spiritualization carrier: they could contain the history and culture; they could make people relax and bring belongingness; they could show the preference of the designers. The furniture, or all kind of design, can be more than passionless implements. That is the subject I want to explore. Because of my educational background in interior design and architecture, I usually search a way to balance between technology and people's emotions, and try to keep the function together with physical contact of design at the same time. Due to the awareness of `people-oriented' concept, I researched and designed the Cocktail furniture series. The purpose of this thesis is to analysis this furniture set, which includes a chair, a coatrack and a table. The main theme of design is to create a relaxing area with soft curved lines and round shapes, and use as few pieces as possible to reduce the weight and waste of material. I used the computer graphics, algorithms and ergonomics, Thermal Forming and Computer Numerical Control techniques together to produce the building-block combination furniture with sustainable plywood and HDPE plastic. Furthermore the use of Ergonomic, such as replaceable pieces, applies the humanistic care in the furniture. Within the consideration of function and aesthetic demands, I want to create the kind of design that can bring the joy and comfort for customers.

<p> </p><p>The purpose of this research was to investigate how the German market is segmented and what the German consumers perceive of Nelo’s positioning by assessment of what the Agents corroborate. The insights derived from it points out if Nelo’s image is rightly perceived in the German market.</p><p> </p><p>In this paper a qualitative approach is used. Data collection method used was both interviews and documentation. Telephone interviews were conducted with three different agents operating in southern Germany. The secondary data the authors used were articles and books. Since it is a research based on a qualitative approach, the theories and the findings will be synthesized to make implication regarding the study.</p><p> </p><p>The investigation has shown that the target segment for Nelo in Germany are the middle to high income group in the age 40+, but it is shown that the products offered by Nelo don’t attract this segment in southern Germany. Though product quality is good the design and material used, does not fit with the target customer rendering the brand unknown. Nelo is not well positioned in the target market because it has not been successful in communicating a clear image. To conclude Nelo´s position is not consistent with their image.</p><p> </p>

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2006. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Robert Charest.; submitted to the School of Human Environmental Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-104).

Historical accounts of mortuary display during the 19th-century and evidence from archaeological investigations at historic cemeteries can contribute substantially to our understanding of related chronological and social-status issues. An inadequate understanding of mortuary practice in Texas circa 1821 to 1870 frustrates assessment of site chronology and status-related interpretations. While there are numerous studies of individual cemeteries, there is, as of yet, no synthesis of historical and archaeological data pertaining to mortuary practices in early Texas. In response to this deficiency, this thesis provides a synthesis of mortuary practices and the availability of related paraphernalia in Texas circa 1821-1870. Data from numerous cemeteries are compiled to establish a chronology for mortuary practices and to develop a seriation of select burial furnishings as an aid in assessing status-related variation in mortuary display. Results of the study, as gleaned from archival and archaeological data, indicate that mortuary display in mid-19th-century Texas is not so much a proxy of wealth, as it is a measure of popular cultural trends and economic contexts. These findings are used to reassess cemetery chronologies and status indices, including several interments at Matagorda Cemetery (1835-present), which serve as case studies.

The purpose of this research was to investigate how the German market is segmented and what the German consumers perceive of Nelo’s positioning by assessment of what the Agents corroborate. The insights derived from it points out if Nelo’s image is rightly perceived in the German market.   In this paper a qualitative approach is used. Data collection method used was both interviews and documentation. Telephone interviews were conducted with three different agents operating in southern Germany. The secondary data the authors used were articles and books. Since it is a research based on a qualitative approach, the theories and the findings will be synthesized to make implication regarding the study.   The investigation has shown that the target segment for Nelo in Germany are the middle to high income group in the age 40+, but it is shown that the products offered by Nelo don’t attract this segment in southern Germany. Though product quality is good the design and material used, does not fit with the target customer rendering the brand unknown. Nelo is not well positioned in the target market because it has not been successful in communicating a clear image. To conclude Nelo´s position is not consistent with their image.